5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.7 |
What starts out as a Christmas Eve trip to the mall ends up as an exercise in terror for suburban mom Della Myers (Kim Basinger) when she finds herself stranded in a forest and pursued by a quartet of thugs -- all because she's left an angry note on their car. The baddies (including Lukas Haas) chase her from the mall, and when she crashes her car in a wooded area, she has nothing to fend off her attackers but her wits and her toolbox.
Starring: Kim Basinger, Lukas Haas, Craig Sheffer, Luis Chávez, Ari SolomonThriller | 100% |
Crime | 1% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, C (B untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
You're no suburban housewife.
If nothing else, While She Was Out -- a 2008 Survival Thriller starring Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential) --
proves the validity of two life lessons. First, the mall is just a terrible place to go, and on Christmas
Eve in particular. Second, it's better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not
have one. Then again, had Basinger's character adhered to one or both of these truisms, there
wouldn't have been a movie. Fortunately for audiences, Basinger's character Della might be a bit
dense, naive, and something of a pushover, but she uses her experiences "while she was out" to
become the person she never was, struggling through a night of terror only to find an inner
strength and determination of will that was hours before absent in the presence of an abusive
husband and at a packed and unforgiving mall.
Not a particularly original story but certainly one that's surprisingly well done and consistently
entertaining and even somewhat invigorating from depressed beginning to surprising conclusion,
While She Was Out delivers a brisk 86-minute Thriller that's worth a watch.
Life isn't a greeting card.
While She Was Out debuts on Blu-ray with a 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer that makes for a passable but somewhat problematic high definition transfer. The film's opening act is its strongest from a visual perspective; though a bit dim, colors are strong in the many objects scattered about Della's house. Detail, too, is sharp; the kids' bedroom offers a nice array of crisply-defined objects, including blankets, toys, and furniture, all of which appear strongly rendered and sharp, both in the foreground and background. A slight layer of nicely-preserved film grain makes this a rather strong visual presentation. However, once the action shifts to the chilly and dark exteriors, the transfer exhibits some problems. Blacks are consistently deep and true, but often drown out finer details not only in the background but also, occasionally, seem to devour foreground detail, too. Additionally, the transfer takes on a somewhat less defined look in the second and third act. Foliage appears clumpy and indistinct, and even thick tree trunks appear soft and one-dimensional. Certain shots go a bit soft, but for the most part, the transfer doesn't lack a fair deal of sharpness. Minor banding is also a hindrance in several shots. Flesh tones take on a slightly warm appearance early on but can appear a bit pasty later in the film. For a low budget film and an under-the-radar Blu-ray release, the results here are neither surprising nor particularly disappointing.
While She Was Out arrives on Blu-ray with no lossless or uncompressed audio option; only a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is included. It should come as no surprise that this one is rather basic but still lacking in several key areas. Dialogue is reproduced with an adequate strength and clarity, but there's little more here of note. Light ambience -- Christmas music and the hustle and bustle of chatty patrons -- brings the mall scene to life with a sound but not particularly mesmerizing level of precision. The track generally lacks much in the way of a more aggressive sonic posture; cars do swoop from one side of the soundstage to another in one scene, and a few reports from the business end of a Beretta handgun lack much in the way of a more realistic tone and volume. In fact, the entire soundtrack lacks in volume even at reference levels; music is subdued throughout, and surround activity is limited to supportive atmospherics, notably a light drizzle as heard throughout the film and a slightly heavier downpour in the film's final exterior shot. All said, the track isn't a disaster by an means but it's something of a disappointment, and the absence of a lossless or uncompressed option -- particularly for a movie that's only about a year old -- seems almost unfathomable and an unfortunate oversight.
This Blu-ray release of While She Was Out contains no extra features. In fact, it doesn't even offer a top- or pop-up menu. Truly a bargain-basement release.
While She Was Out borrows elements from several other revenge, survival, and breaking-point pictures, but what it lacks in sheer originality it makes up for in pacing and approach. The film is marked by two solid performances that culminate in a well-done, smartly-written, and well-played final act that alone makes the film worthwhile. Certainly not the sort of film that will live on with a critical or cult following in the years to come, While She Was Out is nevertheless an all-around decent outing that's neither an embarrassment to itself nor its genre; indeed, it's a solid genre entry through and through, one that fans of this sort of material will want to see. This Starz Blu-ray, however, is something of a disappointment. Featuring a decent 1080p transfer, no lossless soundtrack, and absolutely no extras, only the quality of the movie and the cheap price tag make it worth a consideration.
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